


Giving Up the Gun

by superego_lacunae



Category: Liar Game
Genre: F/M, Gen, fluff crack angst and everything in between, not confined to linear chronology, post tournament
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-04
Updated: 2014-06-08
Packaged: 2018-02-03 09:17:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1739354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/superego_lacunae/pseuds/superego_lacunae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Akiyama goes soft.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In Which Akiyama is Careless

 

Nao has always been ticklish.

Always.

So when she wakes, carefully tucked against Akiyama’s side, the first thing she notices is the gentle touch of his right hand, idly wandering the contour of her hip. The left is otherwise occupied, intermittently flipping the pages of a cognitive science journal. She shifts slightly but he does not react. She realizes, then, that his mind is elsewhere, caught up in a world of p-values and peer reviews. So even though it is _absolute torture_ , she closes her eyes and relishes the sensation as his thumb brushes over her waist. After all, it is the first time she has ever caught him engaged in an activity that is not completely premeditated and carefully orchestrated to elicit a specific reaction.

She falls asleep again and dreams about deeper meanings.

 

 

(She does not notice that as her breathing slows down and evens out, so, too, does his bounding pulse.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My headcanon is only just starting to take form, so feel free to share your thoughts and help me mold it :D


	2. In Which Nao Sticks it to the Man

As Akiyama inspects one of the more popular floor models, Nao lingers near a slightly larger model, whose stainless steel exterior reminds her of a suit of armor.

“Akiyama-san,” she murmurs, “let’s go with this one.”

He glances up at her, then at the shiny refrigerator that looms large behind her. His bangs obscure most of his face, but she can tell when he starts to perform some rapid mental calculations.

“It’s outside of our price range, of course, but I think this model is the best choice,” she adds unnecessarily.

To his credit, he does not shoot the idea down immediately, even if he looks dubious. 

“Ok,” he says. “First, explain specifically why you think it’s the best. Answer that, and we’ll see where that gets us.”

And even though she knew he was going to ask, it doesn’t make it easier for her to answer. Where to begin? The spacious shelves, the ice cube dispenser, the metallic finish? In the end, she settles on the truth, even if it’s a little embarrassing. 

“You see,” her face flushes and she lowers her gaze to the floor, “all the other models are manufactured by a subsidiary of the Yokoya Corporation.”

There is a brief silence, and then he starts to laugh a big, hearty laugh, one that draws curious glances from their fellow shoppers. She is torn between joy and irritation: joy that he is still capable of such a laugh, and irritation that it only seems to come out at her expense…the only other time she has seen this laugh was during the first round, when he found out Fujisawa had called the cops on her.

He composes himself, and her irritation dissipates when he flashes her a mischievous (and utterly charming) grin. 

“It’s perfect. Let’s get it.”

~*~

Regrettably, they don’t get to use it for a while because they are forced to survive on vitamin supplements and cup noodles in order to make up for the down payment. Even so, it remains one of their favorite purchases, an oversized but stately symbol of triumph.

Then Fukunaga comes to call. She christens it “The Fuck You! Fridge” and crams it full of cheap beer, and all is right in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My favorite part of "Roots of A" is when we get to see Akiyama smile the kind of smile turns people's eyes into upside-down V's. I like to think that maybe one day he'll be able to smile like that again.


	3. In Which Dreams Come True

Akiyama resists the urge to fiddle with his cufflinks and looks over at Fukunaga, who stands before him, resplendent and swathed in a cloud of white organza that pools elegantly at her feet. Her hair has been gathered into an intricate knot at her nape, adorned with pearls. The bouquet she holds is so massive, he doubts that any lesser mortal—woman, man, or otherwise—could lift it.

She is absolutely stunning, and he cannot hold back a faint smile. Because seriously, what kind of maid of honor deliberately upstages the bride? And, more importantly, what kind of bride allows it?

Then there is a low rumble as the guests rise to their feet and a pair of doors swings open, flooding the hall with light. The bride steps in and there is a collective gasp.

It seems he has underestimated Nao, who has not taken Fukunaga’s challenge lying down. He studies the subtle shifts in her facial expressions—wistfulness, embarrassment, joy—until she is close enough to touch. He turns to the man who has supported her thus far, who stands tall and proud in his crisp, black suit and his elaborate…porcelain mask?

Oh _hell_ no.

“Hey! Where is Nao’s father?” Akiyama sees no need to be polite, not when Nao could start crying at any second because the LGT is even ruining her wedding.

Leronira laughs serenely. “Why, Akiyama-san! The rules state it quite clearly.” He pauses for dramatic effect. “In the event that Kanzaki Nao has lost her father before the ceremony, a suitable substitute will be sent to give her away in his place.”

He turns to Nao. “I daresay, my dear, even though I always knew this day would come, I cannot say I was prepared for it.” He gestures at her veil. “May I?”

And before Akiyama can stop him, he pulls back the delicate film of her veil and uses it to dab at the trail of moisture that is inexplicably dripping down the front of his mask. Behind them, Forli begins to stack flower petals on Nao’s head.

Akiyama grits his teeth and swears vengeance because removing her veil was supposed to be _his_ job.

~*~

The next morning, Akiyama wakes up with the feeling that something terrible will happen if he does not step up his game. Although he has spent years training himself not to make weak choices while he is in abnormal mental states, the strange sense of urgency makes him pick up the phone, dial Nao’s number, and feed her some bogus reasons why she needs to meet him for lunch. She eats it up, as usual.


End file.
